


Mr. Music

by CeezoCico



Category: Teen Titans - All Media Types, Titans (TV 2018)
Genre: Also RIP Kori I didn't know how to shove her in here without it being forced, Because I was super tired when I wrote this, But like they're not that close but also are that close???, But then turns into total, Country roads is in this, Crack, Familial Relationships, Family, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Idk how to tag my dude, Is it dead???, It will always live on, It's not dead to me, Memories, Mr. Music is my new hero, Platonic Relationships, This starts really hecking, dead memes, deep, fight me, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-10-26 12:07:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17745623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeezoCico/pseuds/CeezoCico
Summary: "Everyone in the circus picked up skills from everyone else. Just because he was a trapeze artist didn’t mean he couldn’t juggle better than most. One of the performers was a one-man band, only known as Mr. Music. Dick always thought he was one of the coolest performers. He didn’t just have one talent or skill he was good at, he could play guitar, harmonica, drums, accordion and even more."Dick's always had trouble dealing with his trauma. Maybe all he needed was a helping hand and some crazy teenagers?





	Mr. Music

**Author's Note:**

> Heck I was inspired to write this because I went to see a (Gaelic) football match with my family the other day (We won!!!) and they had a band play while we were all waiting for it to start. Apparently it was a dad and his kids (or at least that's what my dad told me so idk??) but the "dad" looked just like Dick. Like freakishly like Dick. You don't understand, he was Titans!Dick but with the personality of comics!Dick (aka a goof that we stan) or at least something like that. But when we came to the stands (which is the section where you sit since we're not losers who stand in the terrace) they started playing country roads and all I could think of was Dick playing country roads the entire time??? So I just wrote in my phone notes "Dick can play guitar and Gar freaks out cause he starts playing country roads" and then this happened so yeah.
> 
>  
> 
> Also this is exactly the one year anniversary of the second fanfic that I posted on here (Too Quiet!) that isn't deleted. This was all by accident but I checked and my last fanfic (Can you take down my mirror... Please?") was posted a day before the one year anniversary of my first fanfic (You're Safe Here) which I never actually finished do to me not being able to stick to a story.
> 
> ANYWAYS! I hope you guys like this "starts serious but then like wtf tho" fanfic!

Dick sat back in his chair, a newspaper in his hand that he was only reading for the sake of doing something. The four of them were currently staying in the safehouse, trying to figure out how to get back to some form of normalcy after everything that had happened so far. Kory was out doing who knows what, Dick had given up trying to figure her out since he met her, and Gar was in his room. Rachel was in the living room with him, napping on the couch opposite him as she lightly held her phone in her hand.

Dick’s eyes slid over to where a guitar was set up in the corner. He knew it was only there for the purpose of making it seem like a normal home if needs be, Bruce never did have something just because, but Dick couldn’t help but focus on it.

Everyone in the circus picked up skills from everyone else. Just because he was a trapeze artist didn’t mean he couldn’t juggle better than most. One of the performers was a one-man band, only known as Mr. Music. Dick always thought he was one of the coolest performers. He didn’t just have one talent or skill he was good at, he could play guitar, harmonica, drums, accordion and even more. 

Dick had tried to get him to teach him everything but found that the only thing he was any bit good at was guitar. Still, Dick took what he could get and over his years at Halsey’s he became quite skilled at the instrument. Even used it to try to get a date back when he was six, though she said she preferred electric.

When his parents- After he moved in with Bruce, he stopped playing. It hurt to even look at one, let alone play. He tried to one time. Went out on his own and visited a place that sold them. He even managed to pick one up and get his grip just right, just like Mr. Music taught him. But then he tried to strum a chord and he felt it all start to crumble. The feeling of the strings burying into the tips of fingers all too familiar as he all but shoved the guitar into its stand and rushed out of the shop.

Dick bit his lip. He knew it would probably just be a repeat if he tried to play again. He’d run. He’d run like a coward still not able to accept that his old life is gone. That Mr. Music is gone. That Halsey’s is gone. That his family are gone… And that they’re never coming back.

Fuck it. Dick didn’t want to be some coward, too scared to face reality. He set the paper aside, forcing himself to stand. He slowly made his way over to the guitar stand, feeling himself filled with a new sense of determination as he reached forward and picked it up. Dick sat back down, lifting the guitar up into his lap and getting it just right. His left hand found it’s way into a shape of a chord, his right hovering above the strings. He could do this. He spent his teens beating up criminal masterminds, he could do this.

He held his breath and shut his eyes, gently brushing the strings with his fingers. And there it was again, the remembrance of all he’s lost, of all he wished he had. He kept his eyes shut, holding his breath as he heard a yawn.

“Huh..? Dick,” Rachel sleepily mumbled. “You play?”

Damnit, he couldn’t just have a breakdown now. He had to stay strong, just for a moment, and get this stupid guitar out of his hands.

“Well, I learned some when I was younger, but I haven’t played since then…” He replied, trying to sound confident but knowing that it was useless.

“Can you play me something?” Rachel asked innocently.

This wasn’t exactly going according to plan. He couldn’t just say no to Rachel, he found out early on that he had a hard time doing so. But could he? Could he play a song? I mean, he doubted he could even remember enough of a song to play it. Oh, what was he kidding? He remembered every song he had been taught to play perfectly, he had practiced them so much that they were muscle memory to him. But that wasn’t the problem… It couldn’t just be that easy for him, could it?

“C’mon, I won’t laugh if it’s horrible. Well… I probably will but you know what I mean.” Rachel joked. She thought he was embarrassed?

Dick let out a small sigh. “Sure.” He said simply. He could do this. He took a deep breath, double checking his grip and forcing himself to check if the guitar was in tune, though each string felt like it was on fire.

He closed his eyes and decided to just play a song he had taught himself, knowing it would hurt just that small amount less. To his hands the strums and chord progressions felt like breathing but to his brain they felt alien. It was a weird mix, one part of him rejecting it so heavily while the other accepted it with open arms. 

He didn’t stop until he reached the halfway point, at which the song just repeated itself guitar wise. Slowly he opened his eyes to reveal Rachel looking towards him in awe. The pain started to lighten at that.

“So,” Dick started, trying to distract himself from the weight of the guitar in his lap. “Was I horrible?”

Rachel snapped out of her awe to giggle. “Horrible? Dick, that was amazing!” She exclaimed. “You’re really good!”

Dick was taken aback, a small blush coming across his face. “Oh, thanks, Rachel. I still think I’m rusty.” He needed to change the subject. Sure, Rachel made it hurt less… But it still hurt too much for him to keep holding on. “So… Do you know what’s going on with Gar? He’s been in his room since breakfast.”

“Oh, I think he’s trying to beat the world record for a Mario Kart level.” Rachel explained, holding back a laugh. “I doubt he’s going to be coming out anytime soon.”

Something in Rachel’s eyes lit up. “Unless…” She quickly explained her plan and Dick once again regretted picking up the guitar in the first place. One song he could handle. Barely. But he could handle it. Another song? He really needed to get better at saying no to Rachel.

He leaned back, biting back a sigh as he readied himself to start playing once again. Whether it was emotionally or physically he wasn’t quite sure. With another deep breath, he began to strum the first few chords of the song. Just as it came to where the chorus started, he came to understand how brilliant Rachel’s plan was.

Garfield ran into the living room, screaming at the top of his lungs. “COUNTRY ROADS! TAKE ME HOME! TO THE PLACE! I BELOOOONG!” That was… Unexpected…

Dick immediately stopped playing. At that moment, Gar suddenly realised what he was doing and froze, face going red. “Um…” He mumbled out.

Rachel burst into a mess of giggles, unable to stop herself from tumbling off the couch and onto the floor. Gar nervously glanced between Dick and Rachel for a few moments before starting to laugh himself and soon Dick even found himself laughing, though he was much quieter than the other too.

Maybe he could start playing again?


End file.
